Memories
by Candybree
Summary: Jack is having trouble remembering things and Ianto helps him make it a bit better. 2 chapters, second chapter is set far in the future and technically contains character death. I suck at summaries, sorry.
1. Chapter 1

This is set after Exit Wounds and is definitely not my usual kind of story.

Jack is having trouble remembering things after being buried for nearly 2000 years. Ianto helps him feel a bit better about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

* * *

Jack had come back into the Hub, clearly upset, and gone straight to his office.

Ianto made coffee while thinking about what could have made Jack so upset but he couldn't think of anything. Jack had left saying that he needed air, which after being buried for nearly 2000 years was understandable. He hadn't been upset when he left. He hadn't been happy, but he hadn't been upset either, and nothing Ianto could think of would cause Jack to become this upset. Not from just walking around the Plass.

Ianto knocked lightly on the office door before going in, giving Jack time to compose himself if he wanted to. He walked in to find Jack slumped over his desk, head buried in his arms and hiding his face. His body language alone told Ianto that this wasn't about Tosh and Owen dying. Not that he thought that was it in the first place.

Ianto set the mugs down carefully and rubbed Jack's back in gentle circles.

"What's wrong Cariad?" Ianto asked softly.

"I can't..." Jack paused and shook himself, looking up at Ianto while he did.

"You can't what Cariad?" Ianto asked, seeing pain in Jack's eyes that had nothing to do with losing two team members.

"I went to get coffee. I thought I would give you a break. You never take enough breaks, even when it is only us. But I couldn't...I CAN'T remember how you like your coffee." Jack said quietly. "It sounds stupid with everything else going on, but there are so many things that I can't remember."

"Jack...Cariad, you spent nearly 2000 years buried alive. Of course you are going to forget some things. And it isn't stupid to be upset."

"But I don't want to forget you." Jack whispered. "I_ never_ want to forget you."

Ianto pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"You may not remember what kind of coffee I like, but you remember _me_, who I am, and that is what is important. The little details don't really matter as long as you remember the whole."

Jack smiled at his young lover and kissed him softly, just a gentle press of lips.

"And it was only 1981 years." Jack said in mock anger. "Don't make me any older than I am. I really don't need help in that area. And technically, only 1874 of those years were actually spent buried. The other 107years were spent frozen in Torchwood, so I don't know if they really count." Jack chuckled as Ianto kissed him again. "And here I was thinking you were good with numbers."

"Let's go down that hatch of yours and I'll show you just how good I am." Ianto purred. "Who knows, it may help you remember some things. Although you may forget a few others for a while."

"Promises, promises."

Jack smiled and led the young man down into his bunker.

* * *

AN: The next chapter will be the Face of Boe. Technically character death.


	2. The Face of Boe

Technically spoilers for Gridlock, Utopia and Last of the Time Lords from Doctor Who season 3

* * *

Year: 5,000,000,058 Planet: New Earth

He could feel that his end was near and it was a relief.

He had been alive longer than anyone could remember.

Longer than HE could remember.

But his Doctor was here. His Doctor was coming.

He knew the next year for the Doctor would be horrible, but he couldn't say anything except to tell him that he wasn't alone. There was another like the Doctor.

Unlike himself.

He would always be alone. The only one. An impossible thing.

But that was when he was Captain Jack Harkness. Working at Torchwood with his teams. That first team of his. Tosh, Owen, Gwen, the pterodactyl, and...Ianto.

Ianto.

His beautiful wonderful Welshman.

He had kept his promise to the young man he had taken as a lover so long ago.

He thought of Ianto often. He never forgot but he never stopped loving again either. No matter what happened and no matter how hard it seemed, he always found love again eventually.

He didn't remember everything but he remembered Ianto's eyes.

His smile.

The feel of their bodies together.

He could remember that the young Welshman would blush when he made reference to their afterhours activities, although he couldn't remember what the actual blush looked like.

He remembered that he loved hearing those Welsh vowels (all two of them) but he couldn't remember how they sounded when Ianto said them.

He remembered he had never loved anyone as much as he had loved his Welshman, his Ianto, his Sweetheart, with his stopwatch, suits and ties.

And that UNIT cap. Best idea ever.

He sighed, trying to remember the little details; the taste of Ianto's coffee, his smell. But he couldn't.

The details didn't matter though. He remembered Ianto and that's what mattered.

Now his Doctor is here. And Martha, the woman who would save the Earth. And the rest of the universe too.

It was almost over, his long and lonely life.

It was almost funny to think that in just a few days the Doctor would see him running across the Plass with the Doctor's hand in his pack. And the Doctor would tell him how wrong he was.

"You Are Not Alone." He whispered.

As he took his last breath he remembered his life.

He remembered.


End file.
